Editing Chelation (section)

=== Chelation therapy ===
[[Chelation therapy]] is an antidote for poisoning by [[mercury poisoning|mercury]], [[arsenic]], and [[lead]].  Chelating agents convert these metal ions into a chemically and biochemically inert form that can be excreted. Chelation using [[sodium calcium edetate]] has been approved by the [[U.S. Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) for serious cases of [[lead poisoning]]. It is not approved for treating "[[heavy metal toxicity]]".<ref name="warning">{{cite web |url=http://www.chelationwatch.org/reg/fda_warning.shtml |title=FDA Issues Chelation Therapy Warning |date=September 26, 2008 |access-date=May 14, 2016}}</ref> Although beneficial in cases of serious lead poisoning, use of disodium EDTA (edetate disodium) instead of calcium disodium EDTA has resulted in fatalities due to [[hypocalcemia]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) |title=Deaths associated with hypocalcemia from chelation therapy--Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, 2003–2005 |journal=MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report |volume=55 |issue=8 |pages=204–7 |date=March 2006 |pmid=16511441 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5508a3.htm}}</ref> Disodium EDTA is not approved by the FDA for any use,<ref name="warning" /> and all FDA-approved chelation therapy products require a prescription.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/MedicationHealthFraud/ucm229313.htm |title=Questions and Answers on Unapproved Chelation Products |publisher=[[U.S. Food and Drug Administration|FDA]] |date=February 2, 2016 |access-date=May 14, 2016}}</ref>